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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23341492">The Rise After The Fall Extra Chapters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandoms_consume_my_life/pseuds/fandoms_consume_my_life'>fandoms_consume_my_life</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Rise After the Fall [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Technology, Amnesia, Blood, Character Death, Corpses, Extra Chapters for my Other Fic, Fake Character Death, Graphic Description of Corpses, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Others Are Back Stories, POV Switches, Past Character Death, Read My Other Fic Before You Read This, Some Chapters Correspond to Events in the Main Fic, graphic description of violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:14:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,073</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23341492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandoms_consume_my_life/pseuds/fandoms_consume_my_life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a collection of extra chapters for my fic The Rise After The Fall. I suggest reading that before you come here. Certain chapters are character, relationship, or some other backstory. Other times, they will be about a certain event that happens or an answer to a question that someone has. These chapters will simply be called (Chapter # Pt #) to avoid spoilers for anyone who hasn't read that far. The relationships or characters will be labeled (Relationship/Character) so it will be easy to find.</p><p>Additionally, I will not have a chapter of warnings, so please read the first chapter of my fic for warnings.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Rise After the Fall [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Daisuga Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Daichi rolled into a corridor as he heard another round of bullets being fired. He barely had time to register the pain in his leg as he picked himself back up and ran down the corridor, away from the enemy. He risked a glance over his shoulder as he tried to find anyone else on his team that survived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The mission was a failure. They had gone on the mission with faulty intel and they had to pay the price. For most of the team, that price was their lives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Except for Daichi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One step sent pain shooting up his leg and he ducked into an open room before collapsing. He didn't want to look at the wound, too scared of what he might see. Instead, he sat up and pushed himself into a corner. He held up his gun in front of him, ready to shoot the next person to enter the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hands were shaking and he felt like crying and vomiting at the same time. However, he was able to keep his composure and managed to keep the gun in his hands and trained at the entrance. He tried to block out the faint sounds of gunfire and screaming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened and Daichi flinched, pulling the trigger and missing his target entirely. The other person threw himself onto the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jesus!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi lowered the gun as he realized who it was. "Lieutenant!" He tried to stand up, but doubled over in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tashiro recognized Daichi and rushed to his side. "Daichi, right?" He asked, putting an arm around Daichi and standing him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi hobbled on his good leg and nodded. "What's going on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're retreating." Tashiro said. "I called in for backup and they should be here any minute. Can you walk?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi took a step on his bad leg. There was a lot of pain, but he could manage. He nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We just need to get to the entrance."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded. His instinct was to save everyone, but he knew that most of the people were already gone. If he wanted to continue being useful to the Nest, he would have to make it out of this mission alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tashiro peered around the corner, watching for the enemy. He gestured to move forward and ran in the opposite direction from where Daichi had come from. Daichi hobbled close behind him, gritting his teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The facility they were in wasn't large, but Daichi's faction had gone pretty far before there was a surprise attack. There weren't supposed to be this many Wolves. Everyone had scattered, trying to find cover. Most had died where they stood, falling around Daichi like flies. The only reason why Daichi was able to survive was because he had thrown himself onto the floor and covered himself with the body of one of his fellow soldiers. He didn't dare look into their face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The corridor opened up into a large room and they came face-to-face with another aftermath of a slaughter. Another faction wiped out. How many were left?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Damn Wolves." Tashiro grumbled under his breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They carefully stepped over the bodies, listening for more gunfire. Everything was silent now, but Daichi felt more on edge than when he was able to hear the gunfire. They wouldn't be able to pinpoint where the Wolves were. And now, they had to choose a path.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tashiro went down the left corridor and Daichi put 100% of his trust into his decision and ran after him. If anything, he just hoped that the Lieutenant would be able to get out alive. Daichi knew that in the eyes of the higher ups, a Lieutenant was worth so much more than just a lowly Scout. It was supposed to be Daichi's honor to die for his Lieutenant, but he didn't want to die like this. Not yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi was able to feel before he saw them. He saw a room off to their right and he tackled Tashiro into it. After the door closed, he heard gunfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tashiro looked at him in surprise before pulling out his tablet and tapping on the map. Daichi looked around at the room. There were two doors, one on the left and one on the other side of the room. He stood up and tried to walk but immediately fell over. His tumble into the room pushed the bullet farther up his leg and the pain was starting to get unbearable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tashiro looked at him in concern before tapping on the screen a bit more. "Seems like that way is a direct path to the exit." He said, pointing to the door across the room. "This way hits more of the areas that I assigned the factions." He said, pointing to the door on the left. "I'll head that way and you go straight to the exit."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, Lieutenant-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I want to try to save more people." He cut Daichi off. "And you won't be able to get far with that leg of yours."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi wanted to argue but he knew that he was right. "Please, don't be reckless." He mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tashiro laughed. "Don't worry about me." He reached into a pouch and pulled out a syringe. "This will help with the pain. Don't stray from the path."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He handed the tablet to Daichi with a clear line for Daichi to follow as he inserted the needle into his leg. Daichi felt the pain start to dissipate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both exchanged their goodbyes and Tashiro ran out the door. Daichi stood up and carefully walked across the room. The Medics had come up with a new formula which nearly erased all pain from a large wound. However, it didn't affect the wound at all, so whoever took it had to be careful. Daichi knew that he didn't have much time before the pain would come back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding in satisfaction when he reached the other side of the room, Daichi took off running down the hallway. There were only three hallways and two rooms he had to go through before making it to the entrance. Easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first hallway was deserted. Not a single bullet hole or bloodstain in sight. Daichi didn't try to understand why, his only goal was to get out. The room that was opened up had a couple of corpses, which Daichi tried to block out as he ran through the next hallway, which also had a couple corpses littered around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he was running down the second hallway, he started to wonder why it was so empty. Tashiro did say that most of the factions went down the other way, but there had to be a few of them who came down this way. There were a lot of corpses, but there wasn't enough to fill one faction, let alone two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Theories flashed through his mind but before he could start contemplating them, the strong smell of blood flooded his nostrils. He was forced to stop, hands on his knees, to try and hold onto the contents of his stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He breathed through his mouth as he slowly continued down the hall and into the next room, gun out and ready to fire.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next room answered Daichi's questions on where all the faction members were. The room looked to be a computer room, but now all the computers were on the floor and covered with the corpses of everyone who came down that way. It seemed that everyone who came down this way was killed here and the couple people who managed to leave the room alive were shot a couple of feet down the hall. Daichi felt his panic rise. Why had everyone died here? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw the hallway he wanted to go down, but it was on the other side of the large room and there was a large pile of bodies in his way. He kept his head up, avoiding looking at them, as he made his way around the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His foot caught something and he tumbled, falling onto the floor. He turned to look at what he tripped over and froze as he stared into the frozen, terrified expression of the man who was underneath him. His arms and legs were missing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi backed away on all fours, too weak to stand. He didn't want to think about what happened in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His blood ran cold when he heard a gruff laugh from behind him. He whipped around as a large hand gripped his throat. He let out a pained gasp as he was lifted into the air. The gun tumbled out of his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do we have here?" The man laughed. "A baby crow, trying to escape? We can't have that, now can we?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man started to squeeze and Daichi felt his vision go blurry and dark spots started dancing in his vision. Panic welled up in his body as he clawed at the hands holding him up. The man laughed in response, squeezing harder. Daichi's entire body went limp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was this it, then? He had never really liked thinking about how he was going to die, but he never thought it was going to be like this. But in a way, it was kind of fitting. Everyone else was dead. Why did he get to survive? And it wasn't like he had much to live for, anyway. His family and friends had all died during The Fall. He was the only survivor of that and it haunted him every day. He didn't want to go through that again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was suddenly dropped, but it didn't matter. His throat felt crushed and he wasn't able to breathe. As the world faded away, all he heard was the distant sounds of gunfire.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>*     *     *     *     *     *</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi woke up to a bright light. Everything was bright. Was he in heaven? He hadn't believed in heaven before, but he figured that now wasn't too late.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A face appeared above him. It was hazy, but Daichi knew what it was. An angel. To meet him at the pearly gates. Of course.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The angel was trying to speak to him, but he felt like there was cotton in his ears. He tried to speak, but he felt cotton jammed in his throat. Instead, he drifted off into a peaceful trance, letting the feeling of drifting away on a cloud consume him. His eyes kept watching the angel floating in and out of sight, but his mind started to wander.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was too clouded and he only thought of his family that left him behind. There was no pain at the thought, just excitement. He would see his mom's smiling face again. He would be able to hug his brothers and sisters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tear slipped onto his cheek and he tried to wipe it away, but he couldn't feel his arms. For some reason, that was what caused him to start questioning it. He tried picking up his arm again, but couldn't feel it. He tried to look down at his arms, but his head couldn't move either. Panicked, he tried to call the angel, but his voice wasn't working. The angel was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head started clearing as panic started to rise. Something was wrong. He then started to remember what he did when he was alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I'm a soldier. He thought to himself. Not a soldier, a Scout. I was in a mission with my team. We had to recover a weapon or schematics or something. Everyone was killed. I was killed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Strangled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right when he thought that, the scene around him vanished. Not into darkness, but into something more recognizable. A room. At the same time, he was hit with a wall of pain. Everything hurt and he felt like he was dying. How ironic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn't move anything. He couldn't feel anything. But he was alive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A Medic next to his bed gasped when they looked down and saw Daichi's eyes open. He stepped into Daichi's field of vision. Daichi would've gasped if he could. The angel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please don't panic." The Medic said with a sweet voice. "You're safe. You're back at the Nest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi wanted to respond. He tried to open his mouth, but he couldn't feel his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't speak. Your vocal cords and windpipe was damaged. You won't be able to speak for a while."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi frowned. He wanted to say something, at least try to, but he was hit with another wave of pain. The only reaction he could do was to squeeze his eyes, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. When he opened them, the Angel was looking down on him with a worried expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you in pain?" He grimaced. "Wait, sorry. Blink once for yes and twice for no."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. I'll be right back." He shuffled out of sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi wanted to call him back, but he knew he was being disruptive. Instead, he tried to take his mind off of the pain by studying his surroundings. There wasn't much he could see. The walls and ceiling were completely white. He was able to just barely see two curtains on either side of him. He presumed that there were patients on either side. He was able to hear voices, soft whispers carrying across the room. He couldn't tell how many people were in the room. What time was it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic came back with the sound of a curtain being pulled back. Daichi assumed that there was a curtain in front of him that he couldn't see. He still wasn't able to see the Medic, but he heard him shuffling around the small space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, his face appeared in Daichi's field of view. "That should kick in soon. It might make you fall asleep, but I could answer any questions you might have. It might be hard, but I'll try."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi blinked once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic thought for a moment. "Do you want to know about your condition?" Two blinks. "The mission?" One blink. "Well, a lot of it is classified but they told me that there were about fifty survivors. One of them was your Lieutenant. He hasn't suffered anything serious. In fact, you're the worst case out of the survivors. You're lucky the Extraction Team got to you when they did."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Relief flooded Daichi. In his book, the mission wasn't a complete failure as long as the most important person survived. The Lieutenant was the one with the information. If they had to go on a second mission, he knew everything they needed to know so something this bad wouldn't happen again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The relief must have been evident because the Medic smiled. "I take it you're the worrying type. Or loyal. Well, the Lieutenant was asking about you. You might see him in the next day or so."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi suddenly felt drowsy. Whatever new painkiller he was given must have kicked in. He hadn't even noticed that the pain was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic smiled again. "You should get more rest. The next time you wake up, you might be able to move your head."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave a curt bow before he retreated from where he came, curtain sliding back, then closing again. Daichi closed his eyes as his mind went blank.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*     *     *     *    *     *</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Daichi woke up again, he found that he was able to move his head. He couldn't move anything else, but he was able to feel from his fingertips. Over time, he was able to move his fingers. He pinched at the cotton sheets he was laying on. Relief flooded through him as he was able to feel the rough texture. He continued moving his fingers until he was eventually able to move his hands. Soon, he got his entire arm to move. Lifting his arm made his arm sore, but he worried what would happen if he wasn't able to lift it any more, so he continued.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The curtain moved and the Medic was there. He gasped in surprise as he saw that not only was Daichi awake, but he was moving his arms. Daichi dropped his arm and looked at him, sheepish. The Medic gave him a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How does it feel?" He asked, sliding the curtain closed and entering the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi gave him a thumbs up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad. I was worried that some of your muscles would be unresponsive, but you seem to have a fighting spirit." He gave Daichi a big smile. "You're not going down that easily."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi felt his heart swell. He couldn't tell what it was, but he decided that it was pride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic thought for a moment. "You know, we might be able to do something with this. Do you know sign language?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi gave him a thumbs down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic nodded. "I know the alphabet, but we can make up signs for other things. We already have one for yes and no." He thought for a moment. "Do you know others?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi thought. He knew some signs that they used in the field, but he didn't think they would be of use in a non-combat environment. But he knew others.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pointed up, down, left and right. The Medic nodded, chuckling. "Directions." Daichi held his hand out, palms forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stop. And go." He said, gesturing towards him. "That's good for now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded, surprising them both with the movement. His neck gave a loud crack and it was more sore than his arms, but he was grateful he could move. He moved his head from side to side, looking around him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Like he suspected, he was surrounded on three sides by curtains. Behind him was a bare, white wall. There was an end table to the left of him that had a sad looking potted plant. On the other side, there was another table that had a computer and a lot of medical equipment. There was also a machine that had a wire that was hooked into Daichi's right arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave his head a light shake, which he immediately regretted. Pain shot through his body from his neck and he felt like he was choking again. He winced, which the Medic picked up on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you okay?" He asked, arm outstretched as if Daichi was about to fall. "Did that hurt?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded. He lifted an arm and pointed at his neck. The Medic nodded and picked up a tablet off of the table, tapping some things into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, you should be able to walk soon." He said, putting the tablet back down. "We didn't think you would recover this quickly." He pulled up a chair next to his bed and sat in it. "Want to learn sign language?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next couple weeks were the same. Daichi woke up to the Medic sitting in the chair and tapping away at the tablet. He would then teach Daichi sign language. Then he would leave and Daichi would spend the rest of the day trying to move his muscles. By the end of two weeks, Daichi was able to move every muscle. After four, he was able to walk around. After that, the Medic put sign language on hold as he instead helped Daichi walk around in the small space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi was sitting up when the Medic walked in for a second time that day, which was unusual. Daichi gave him a questioning glance. He was holding a tray of food. Daichi hadn't eaten food in a long time. The only reason he was still alive was because of whatever they were pumping into his bloodstream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We decided to give you some food." He explained, setting the tray down on the end table. "Don't worry if you can't eat it. I don't want you to hurt yourself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi's hand was shaking as he grabbed the spoon from the Medic's hand. He noticed that all the food on the tray was soft. He went for the mashed potatoes. He put the spoon up to his lips and hesitated, looking at the other man who gave him an encouraging smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He put the food in his mouth and questioned what to do. Did he have to chew? He gave it a couple bites before realizing that it couldn't be broken down more and swallowed the food. Pain traveled with the potatoes down his stomach and he doubled over, clutching the blanket with one hand and his neck with the other. He wanted to cough, but he found that he was unable to. His vision started to swim and he started to panic. This time, he would die.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't able to consider his death as a soft hand grasped his. He realized that the pain was gone, only there for a second. It was the panic that remained.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gaped at the Medic, who was looking at him with a serious expression. With his free hand, he grabbed the hand that was at Daichi's neck and slowly put it down on the bed. "It's okay." He said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi lowered himself back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He heard a clatter from the tray and the curtain pull back. He heard the Medic leave the space, but didn't hear the curtain draw back. He raised himself on his elbow and looked down to where the curtain was now open. The Medic came back and sat on the chair that was next to the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did it hurt?" He asked after a bit of silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi didn't answer. He didn't know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We can try it again later."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi looked at the Medic. He looked disappointed, but Daichi couldn't tell what he was disappointed in. He was giving Daichi a kind smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Daichi wanted to grab his hand, but he knew that it wasn't in his place. He was the patient, he wasn't supposed to console his Medic. And even if he did, he didn't know what to say. Or if he could even say anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't know why, but he started to notice things that he hadn't noticed about the man before. The first was the beauty mark under his eye. How had he not noticed it before? Daichi remembered his mom telling him that beauty marks were battle scars of his past lives. He wondered how someone got a scar under their eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He also noticed how tired the Medic looked. There were bags under his eye that he had tried to cover up with makeup. But now Daichi was able to see them. Concern filled him. Was Daichi keeping his awake? They weren't on the battlefield. He should be getting rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shocked both of them as he grabbed the Medic's hands. They were still soft and they were warm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" He asked, but he didn't try to take his hands back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi furrowed his brows as he tried to concentrate. He'd only mimicked what the Medic had signed for him. Now, he had to spell out the word first before signing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic patiently waited. Daichi signed. "Name?" He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded, pointing to the Medic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You want to know my name?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded again. Usually, Medics don't get to know their patients. It was for a practical reason. You can't save everyone. It was better not to grow too attached.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Medic sat back, contemplating. Daichi waited in an anxious silence. Finally, he nodded. "My name is Sugawara. Most people just call me Suga."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga. Daichi nodded. It reminded him of the English word for sugar. He was glad he took English classes. The name suited him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What about you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi raised his eyebrows. It was fine for him to know his Medic's name. He wanted to. He wanted to know the name of his savior. But for Suga, it was a different story. Daichi was just one of his patients. Nevertheless, Daichi signed his name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sawamura?" Suga asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded, but continued to sign. "-but people call me Daichi."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was his first sentence and took him a while, but Suga understood. "Daichi." He repeated, testing the name on his tongue. "It suits you." He said with a smile. "Your first name?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, if you trust me that much, I'll call you Daichi."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*     *     *     *     *      *</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After another month, Daichi was allowed to leave the Medical Bay. Suga had told him that he wouldn't be able to speak until his vocal cords were healed, so he wasn't allowed to go back onto the field. Daichi was itching to go, but he knew that it was for the best. If he couldn't communicate with his team, he wouldn't be of use to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His goodbye with Suga filled him with dread. Suga was the only positive, constant thing in his life for the past few months and now he had to go back to his old life. It wasn't like he hated his old life, but he liked Suga's company.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he knew immediately that it was for the best that he left the Medical Bay. The bags under Suga's eyes had been worsening and Daichi knew that it was his fault. Maybe when he left Suga would finally be able to sleep. He knew that he had been teaching himself sign language so that he could communicate with Daichi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga walked Daichi to the door. "You'll finally get some freedom, huh?" He smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smile melted Daichi's heart, but he acted like it was nothing. He nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Suga said, extending his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi wanted more than anything to hug him, but he knew that he had to keep it professional between the two. Knowing each other's names was enough. He firmly grasped his hand and they shook hands like they had just met each other for the first time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment was finally over and Daichi turned his back and walked out of the place he had called home for a brief while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first place he went to was his room. Everything was exactly the way he left it. The only thing that was different was a package that contained Daichi's uniform and weapons that he had on him when he was admitted to the Medical Bay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to take a shower first. He was able to clean himself with a rag at the Medical Bay, but he couldn't feel clean unless he took a shower. He picked some simple clothes that he could wear and headed into the shower. He avoided the mirror as he took his clothes off and went into the shower. On his way out, he caught a glance at his reflection in the fogged mirror. He cringed at the purple surrounding his neck. Before he left his room, he grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga was waiting for him when he opened the door. "Oh!" He took a step back so Daichi could step into the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down the hall to see if anyone was there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just me." Suga said shyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What-" was all Daichi was able to sign before Suga jumped into his rambled explanation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wanted to check up on you and I knew you weren't just going to stay in your room. I came here to see if you were still here and heard the shower running. I know you weren't going to-" He gestured wildly. "-so I just decided to wait. I figured if you were going out, you want someone to be your translator. Actually, the Head Medic told me that maybe I should be your translator because I'm the only one you can have an actual conversation with and-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He cut himself off. "Sorry." He took a deep breath. "I was told to be your translator. Apparently, you're someone important and they want you up-to-date with whatever's going on. I just- kind of- follow you around and act as your voice. If you agree to it, of course."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi's eyes widened. He wouldn't mind having someone like Suga follow him around the base. He didn't want to think too much into it so he nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga's face glowed. "Really?" Daichi nodded. "Oh!" He looked like he wanted to say something, but he simply nodded and turned toward the direction of the elevators. "Where to?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Food." Daichi signed. He had to practice his sign language so he could sign faster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn't matter for now, since Suga seemed to understand. They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached the dining hall. Luckily, they hadn't run into anyone on the way there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they were finding a place to sit, Daichi stole a side glance at Suga's tray. He felt weird, but he was curious as to what he ate. There was a nice helping of rice with some salmon, pickled vegetables, and some fruit. Daichi looked down at his own tray with rice and curry. He felt worried about how thin he was becoming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You okay?" Suga asked, looking into Daichi's face with a curious expression. He must have been scowling at his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi unfurrowed his eyebrows and nodded. Suga gave him an unconvinced look, but turned away. "Oh, here's a spot." He pointed to a table with two open spaces right next to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both took their seats and Suga dug into his food. Daichi stared at his food. He had been able to eat solid food for a while, but there was still worry whenever he took a bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you worried about eating?" Suga asked. Daichi nodded. "Don't worry about it." He reassured with a wave of his hand. "They wouldn't have let you out if you couldn't eat."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded and took a bite. He almost wept at how amazing the food was. Wait-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They?" Daichi signed with his free hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga pursed his lips. "Yeeeaaahhh." He dragged it out. "I uh-" He picked at his fish. "I left the Medical Bay."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he still had his voice, he knew that he would've scolded him. Instead, Daichi gaped at him, which was successful in getting his point across.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know! I know!" Suga said, putting his hands up defensively. "But I never liked working there, and you came along and I just-" He huffed. "Look, I just wanted to leave."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi narrowed his eyes, but nodded. They finished up their food, with Daichi stealing looks at Suga as he stared down his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi wondered where he wanted to go next. He wasn't tired, so he didn't want to go back to his room. He considered going to a training room when Suga grabbed his arm and led him into an elevator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi arched an eyebrow but followed him. The elevator opened and Daichi knew where they were. He looked at Suga for an answer, but he just led them down the hall and into an unmarked door. Daichi had never been in the room, so he didn't know what to expect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What he wasn't expecting was his Lieutenant, one of the Colonels, and his assistant sitting at a table. They looked like they had just arrived.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Sawamura." The Colonel said from where he was standing behind a chair that he was about to sit on. He gestured to the seat across from them. "Have a seat."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi looked at the Colonel, the assistant, then back to Suga. Everyone had a neutral expression. The only one who was beaming was his Lieutenant. Daichi trusted him, so he sat down. Suga took a seat next to him. He didn't miss the nod that the Colonel sent to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well." The Colonel said, clapping his hands together. "I have other matters to attend to, so we'll get through this quickly." He looked at Suga, addressing him. "Does he know anything?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga shook his head. "Nothing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi felt betrayed. He had no idea what was happening, but he knew that Suga had kept something big from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry!" His Lieutenant said, obviously speaking out of turn since the Colonel threw up an eyebrow. "We told Sugawara not to tell you, so it's not his fault."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Colonel smiled. "Oh, yes. Don't misunderstand." He nodded to his assistant, who handed him an envelope. "We called you here for a promotion." He opened the envelope and pulled out a badge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi gasped noiselessly. He recognized the badge. But he turned to Suga to make sure. "Lieutenant?" He signed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga smiled and nodded. The other two looked at him, waiting for a translation. "He just asked if it was a Lieutenant badge." He clarified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two across the table nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We have recognized your abilities and you qualify for the position." The Colonel read out from a paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And you're long overdue for a promotion." His Lieutenant, or ex-Lieutenant chimed in. "I've placed you in charge of small groups, so I know that you can do it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Colonel gave him another folder. "This contains information on your squadron. Lieutenant Tashiro handpicked some Scouts and a Technician for you. And Sugawara-" He nodded to Suga. "-has come forward to be your Medic."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi did a semi-double take before looking at Suga, who was shyly looking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I trust in your ability. I do hope your team will be a valuable asset to the Nest." The Colonel said, standing up. He gave them all a bow. "Well, gentlemen. I have other matters to attend to."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all gave him a bow and he and his assistant left the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An arm wrapped around him and Daichi jumped. Tashiro pulled him out of his chair and pulled him into a bear hug. "Incredible!" He exclaimed. "How many people can say that they went from Scout to Lieutenant! I knew that putting a good word in would get you promoted, but I didn't imagine they would agree to this!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi allowed himself to be shaken around. He was feeling as giddy as Tashiro was. Suga, on the other hand, pulled Daichi out of Tashiro's grasp. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He was just released!" He reprimanded. "Don't shake him around."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry." Tashiro apologized, but his mood didn't go down. "I should let you rest, then."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded and all three of them left and got on the elevator together. When they got to the living quarters, they said their goodbyes and split. Suga walked Daichi to his door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, this is where we part." Suga said as Daichi entered his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi spun around, nearly hitting himself with the door. Suga was rocking on his heels. "Come in?" Daichi signed hastily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga's eyes lit up, but he tried to hide it by turning away and coughing. "Um, okay…" He stepped into Daichi's room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The package with his equipment was still on the floor in front of the door and the two cautiously stepped over it. There was barely any furniture in the room, but they both knew that. Daichi sat on his bed and patted the spot next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga sat next to him. It wasn't awkward, as they often sat together on the bed in the Medical Bay. But something was different. Not only were they alone, but this was Daichi's bed, for all it was worth. So when he felt a hand tug at his scarf, he nearly fell off the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga widened his eyes, caught off guard by Daichi's reaction. "Oh, uh-" They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "I-I saw the scarf and I just wanted to check your neck." He stammered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded, calming himself down. But he couldn't stop his head from hammering in his chest when Suga gently took off the scarf and examined the bruise. Suga gently brushed it, clearly lost in thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How does it-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi looked down at Suga and they both stared into each other's eyes. Suga's words died in his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi realized that someone had to take the initiative before it got awkward, so he gently placed a hand on Suga's cheek, pleading with his eyes because he wouldn't be able to with words. Suga broke into a smile and leaned forwards. Daichi met him in the middle and they shared a quick kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga pulled back immediately. "S-Sorry I-" Daichi cut him off by pulling him onto his lap and giving him a reassuring smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga froze, but eventually settled into his lap. He let out a shy chuckle. Daichi pulled him in for another kiss and this time, Suga didn't back away. They only parted when Daichi needed air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga nestled into him. Daichi guided them onto the bed in a comfortable position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stay?" He signed into Suga's palm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga chuckled and grabbed a hold of Daichi's hand so he could sign back. "Of course."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*     *     *     *    *     *</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Daichi and Suga woke up in their shared room. Daichi was up first, sorting through their clothes that they had discarded in the night. He pulled some fresh clothes for Suga and hopped into the shower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today was a special day. Suga had told him that he would be able to speak again. The bruise on his neck was now a distant, unwanted memory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi got out of the shower in record speed and found Suga sitting on their bed. He had changed into his clothes but he was still rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He took one look at Daichi and immediately felt awake. One look at Daichi was always so much more effective than coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Daichi!" He greeted, running up to him and giving him a kiss. "Ready?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They left their room and headed to the Medical Bay. There was a specialist who would help Daichi use his vocal cords again and make sure he didn't hurt himself. Daichi had wanted to speak first thing in the morning, but Suga scolded him. If Daichi wanted to go out in the field, he would have to make sure he could speak and he wanted a specialist to be there so Daichi didn't lose his voice permanently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were there, Suga was forced to wait outside. He pouted, but knew that it was all standard procedure. His relationship with Daichi meant he couldn't be a part of the procedure, regardless if he was a Medic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An hour of waiting later, Suga was told that Daichi would stay for a couple more days until he was allowed to speak on his own. He only agreed to leave after giving Daichi another kiss and giving him his best wishes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga went back into their room and flopped onto the bed. He flipped onto his back and angirly huffed at the cieling. He wanted to be there with Daichi, but he also didn't want to push what he could do with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn't a rule saying people in a relationship couldn't be in the same team, but it was frowned upon when a Lieutenant was dating someone in their team because it was deemed unprofessional. Daichi tried to fix the problem by assigning Suga to be the co-Lieutenant, which wasn't really a position but it seemed to work. Still, there were dirty looks thrown Suga's way whenever their team had meetings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He didn't want to feel down. He was supposed to be excited! He wondered what Daichi's voice sounded like. He was expecting something deep, from the way Daichi was built. Having abs meant having a deep voice, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With heart and mind more at ease, he fell asleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Daichi~" Suga called out, rushing to the Medical Bay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi was standing there, waiting. He had a bright expression on his face and Suga knew that everything had gone well. Suga tackled him into a hug and gave him a kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Suga." Daichi said after they parted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga gaped. Not only was his voice deep, but it was-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sexy." Suga smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi scoffed and gave Suga a playful smack on the shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga laughed and together they went back towards their room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I missed you." Suga pouted. "It was so boring without you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed, the sound filling Suga with butterflies. "It was only a week."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But that's the most we've been apart since we met each other." Suga complained, dramatically draping himself over Daichi, who struggled to keep them in balance. "And I don't have my job anymore so I didn't have anything to do."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You could've trained. You'll be going out on the field in a few weeks. You might want to train for that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga scoffed. "You don't think I'm ready?" Daichi shook his head. "Hey! I've been out in the field before. And I trained anyway because there was nothing else to do."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They entered their room and flopped onto the bed. It was clear that Daichi was tired, so Suga kept talking. "I made a friend, though. Her name is Michimiya and she's nice. She said she was training to become a Technician. She knew a lot about Tech. I mean, I do too because I'm a Medic and all, but she knew a lot more."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed and pulled Suga into a hug. He nestled his face in Suga's hair. Suga couldn't see him, but knew that his eyes were closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I also met this one guy who's a Scout. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>thought he could be like a Carrier or like a Berserker or something but he didn't have the confidence to pull it off. I forgot his name."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi turned Suga to give him a kiss. That was always one way to shut him up, but Suga didn't mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was clear that Daichi was forcing himself to stay awake, so Suga decided it was time to stop. "Go to sleep." He sighed happily, burrowing himself in Daichi's chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I love you." Daichi responded, the sound echoing in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suga smiled. "I love you too."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Akaashi's Recruitment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first thing Akaashi felt was the throbbing in his temple. He groaned and reached up, pressing his palm against it. He opened his eyes, shielding his eyes from the bright light that was shining in his face. As his eyes adjusted, he realized where he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to sit up, but his entire body complained. Instead, he remained where he lay on the sidewalk. He recognized his neighborhood. He couldn't recall which house he was currently laying in front of, but he was sure it wasn't his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mind was foggy and he wasn't sure what was happening, but something in his gut told him that he had to move. He pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring his complaining body. He stretched his arms and legs as he looked around. There was no one in sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took a while, but he managed to stand on his feet. The weight of his own body was too much, but he grit his teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to go home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it was some kind of animalistic impulse, but it was the only thing he could think of. He dragged his feet forward as he went down the street. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His house was only a couple houses down the street. He recognized it, the light blue one. It was his mother's favorite color.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He trudged up the walkway. The door was open. He froze. Was someone there? No one in his family ever left the door open. He took a step back and looked at the windows on the second floor. Most of the windows were shattered. The door itself was hanging on its hinges.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi felt like he entered another world. He turned around to look at the other houses. How had he not noticed the state of his neighborhood?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were multiple cars on the road, but most were beat up and were missing windows. He couldn't see any drivers in them, even the ones that were in the middle of the road. Some cars were flipped over and stuck inside of a wall. The houses were in a similar, if not worse, state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down at himself and saw scratched and bruises littered across his arms and legs. One pant leg was ripped open and sported a large gash that had stopped bleeding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi's brain finally started to move. The only thing that registered in his brain was panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What had happened? Where was everyone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He turned and ran into the house. They had to be there, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't sure if he was relieved or scared that no one was on the first floor. The living room and kitchen were empty. As he looked around, he noticed that it was emptier than usual. Like someone grabbed the things inside. That explained why the door was nearly broken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barreled up the stairs, ignoring his gut feeling to stop. His foot caught the last stair and he fell on his face. His head began to ache again, but he ignored it and got to his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He started with his room, which was closest to the stairs. It wasn't as bad as the first floor, but he could tell that someone had definitely gone through his stuff. Nothing was strewn about the room, but everything was slightly opened. Some of his drawers were half open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked around for something useful. He realized he had no idea what to look for. What did he need? </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A weapon.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His mind supplied. He shook his head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>For defense.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi couldn't argue with that. He didn't have a weapon, but his sister might. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>play softball and a baseball bat was better than nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he turned to leave, he paused. He looked down at himself. His clothes were torn and bloody. He turned back to his closet. There had to be something better for him to change into.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed the door, feeling awkward with the door open as he changed, even if no one was there. He pulled out a pair of loose jeans and a comfortable shirt and quickly changed, avoiding looking at his reflection in the mirror across the room. After he was done, he grabbed a backpack from his closet and stuffed clothes inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he worked, he made a mental checklist of things he would need. It was hard to accept that everything was destroyed and everyone was gone, but Akaashi had started to wrap his mind around it. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he had seen enough movies with Bokuto to know what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Find supplies. Clothes? Check. Now I need a weapon, food, water…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With his bag packed, he left his room and went into his sister's, which seemed to be in the same state as his. Muttering a quiet apology, he started going through her closet, trying to find the bat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After turning the room over, he realized that she probably took it with her. A sense of relief flooded him. At least she had something to protect herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now the problem was himself. The knives in the kitchen were gone, there were no other bats in the house, and Akaashi was now running out of ideas. He remembered the secret room above the second floor. The entrance was at the end of the hall, but there was a padlock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He went into his parents' bedroom. He wasn't sure what was in the room, but he knew it was going to be worth it. His parents' room was a disaster. He ducked down to look for the box hidden underneath the bed. Instead, he saw past the bed and at the large puddle of blood on the other side of the bed. With his heart racing, he stood up and rounded the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one was there, which was more unsettling than anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He figured that the key was gone, and jumped to his feet, trying to avoid looking at the puddle. He went down and looked up, seeing the latch that led to the secret room. The padlock was nowhere to be found.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached up and grabbed at the latch and the ladder fell down with a thump. His heartbeat was thudding in his ears. He didn't want to go up, but he had to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew what he was going to find.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried not to breath through his nose as he climbed the ladder. He nearly slipped from his haste, but caught onto the ladder in the last moment. There was a moment where he considered letting go; of leaving. But he held on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing that hit him was the smell. Of course, it had smelled ever since he opened the latch, but now it was real. He covered his nose, but dropped it when he realized that it didn't do anything. His eyes were watering, which made it hard for him to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he did see. And maybe his eyes were watering because of something else besides the smell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi fell onto his knees as he watched the sight in front of him unfold, though nothing moved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bat lay useless by his feet. His sister lay in front of him, parts of her missing. An arm was reaching out as if to grab the bat. His father was behind her, face turned away and missing. It looked like there used to be something in his hands, but his hands were no longer there. Behind the two was his mother, clutching onto one of Akaashi's jackets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reached an arm out and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What could he even say? </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>? He hadn't been there when his family needed him most and now they were all-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabbed the bat and hastily climbed down the ladder. His foot slipped and he crashed onto his arm. A large crack sounded, but he hurried onto his feet and out of his house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't realize the constant stream of tears until he collapsed onto the floor. His lungs and eyes burned and his left arm was throbbing. He curled in on himself, clutching the bat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a brief moment, he wondered if someone was going to find him, but the thought quickly left as he realized that he didn't care. All those movies he watched and he knew that if the end of the world was coming, it would be better to accept it than try to struggle through. Everyone died in the end anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And what did he have to live for? His family was d- </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone</span>
  </em>
  <span>, there was probably no one left in the neighborhood either, and everything was destroyed. Akaashi was in a lot of pain, he might as well end it quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat up and looked down at the bat in his hand. There was no way he could kill himself with it. That meant he had to find another weapon. Or maybe someone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi tried to get up, but his body was exhausted. He still didn't know what happened or how he ended up on the road. Not like it mattered anymore. Instead, he sat up and leaned against the wall of his house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes started to get heavy and Akaashi wondered if he had lost enough blood to bleed out. He wasn't sure how much he lost before, but he felt light-headed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sudden noise made his eyes snap open. He listened, and the noise came again. It sounded like- heavy footsteps?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi held his breath as he saw a figure approaching the street. The man carried a heavy sword and backpack full of equipment. He was definitely prepared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi looked around him and noticed that he was hidden by shadows. He wanted to call out to the man, but something stopped him. Was it… fear?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost laughed. He had just accepted death, so why was he scared? He had just lost everything. Was there something more to lose?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man stalked down the street, out in the open. His confidence meant that he was strong, Akaashi knew that much. He just had to get up or say something, then it would be over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man kept walking, past his house, and Akaashi let out a sigh of relief. Then he mentally smacked himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have to get up</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stayed, frozen in place, as he watched the man walk down the street and out of sight. Once he was gone, Akaashi's limbs relaxed. He waited a couple more minutes before slowly crawling out from the shadows. He was able to feel his body again and realized just how much pain he was in.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Pain means you're alive."</span>
  </em>
  <span> He could hear his mother say. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Pain means you're a survivor."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a strange thing to remember, considering everything around him, but it was something. It gave him courage. Against what, he wasn't sure yet, but he needed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He collected his stuff as he went through his checklist again. He had clothes, a suitable weapon, and he was still alive. Now he needed food and a better weapon…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His stomach growled at the thought of food and Akaashi questioned how long it had been since he had eaten. He wanted to remember what had happened before he passed out on the sidewalk, but he couldn't think of anything. It was like his brain was blocking it all out. All he remembered was a vague sense of panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a couple steps to the road, too inside his head to realize the figure behind him. He was knocked to the floor in an instant, landing on his left elbow. He cried out in pain as the man above him held a sword to his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the man who walked by his house a few minutes before. Akaashi felt panic seize him. His pain dulled as he felt a rush. He had to run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man grinned. "I knew there was something here worth coming back for." He studied Akaashi. "You're a pretty boy, but you're too hurt. I'm just going to have to get rid of you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He raised his sword arm and Akaashi rolled away. He quickly jumped to his feet and ran away from the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears clouded his vision as he ran, causing him to stumble. His lungs were aching as he took another sharp inhale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the man behind him grumble something. He was able to take a couple more strides away when he felt a searing, hot pain as it traveled across his back. Akaashi turned and watched as the sword traveled from his back to his side, leaving a large gash in its wake. The action made him fall onto his side. He yelled something as he fell, but all he heard was a high pitched noise ringing in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A foot held him in place, though it hurt too much to move. Akaashi felt the blood as it left his body and he felt light-headed. He stole a last glance at the man above him, wildly grinning with the sword set to kill him before he closed his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is what he wanted, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt as the sword ran through his shoulder. The pain drew out a cry of pain. Everything was going black, but the pain stayed with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a sudden hand on his uninjured shoulder. A voice was dragging him back into the light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey. HEY! Stay with me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whoever it was kept speaking and Akaashi focused on it. The void of darkness started to fade as his senses started to work again. He heard footsteps and other voices around him, though he wasn't sure how many people there were and what they were saying. He was able to smell metal around him, but there was something else. He focused on that specific scent until he recognized it. He opened his eyes and the world around him went back to normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The person holding him seemed to be around his age, though he seemed more mature. He was holding Akaashi half on his lap as another person examined his wounds. When they noticed that Akaashi's eyes were open, the boy gave a shout.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're awake!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded weakly. He hissed as the other person pressed the wound onto his back. He looked down at himself and saw that he was shirtless and that there was a bandage wrapped around his torso. Though he was mostly covered, he still blushed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you hungry?" The boy asked, holding out an open can of food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded. His blush deepened as the boy held a spoon of food to his mouth. He shakily took the spoon in his own hand and fed himself. The boy watched, worried, but let him do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi ate the whole can of food in record speed. He had never felt so full and embarrassed, yet fulfilled in his life. The person checking his wounds had finished, and his shirt was put on his again. Though all his cuts stung, it hurt way less than before. Akaashi thanked the man who took care of his wounds and the boy who had been holding him helped him up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who are you?" Akaashi asked, finally regaining the ability to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My name is Sawamura Daichi." The boy responded. "We're a part of the Crow's Nest." He gestured towards the rest of the people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi looked around the area. He was no longer in front of his house, but he was in what looked to be a makeshift camp. There were tents and foldable tables and chairs thrown around the place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were way more people than he expected. Lots of people dressed like the person who fixed his wounds were rushing around, tending to the wounded. Most of the wounded people wore ordinary clothes. The rest were wearing some sort of uniform, wearing all black with straps and pockets that held weapons. Sawamura was wearing a uniform of his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Many questions swam in Akaashi's mind, but he could only bring himself to ask one. "What happened?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura looked around. "We're on a mission to rescue anyone we can and recruit them."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That didn't really answer anything, so Akaashi knit his brow. From what little information he knew, something had happened and now there was a group saving people. But everyone was so organized. It seemed like there was a lot of time since whatever happened for such a large group to form. How long had he been unconscious? Or was he conscious before and he just forgot everything?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura was still watching him, waiting. Akaashi took it as a sign that he was still willing to answer questions? He probably looked confused. He sat down and Sawamura sat with him, making sure Akaashi's wounds didn't get worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I- What happened? Like with all the-" Akaashi gestured to everything around them. The destruction. "I can't remember anything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura looked at him with sympathy. He thought for a few moments before responding. "You don't remember?" He pursed his lips. "Th- The bombs?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi raised his eyebrows in shock. "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was like a war." Sawamura quieted his voice as he watched the people running around. His voice was shaking and Akaashi felt himself shake. "One day, the government was just- </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Then there were bombs and everything just-" He gestured around him. "-fell into chaos."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi was definitely shaking. Sawamura has put a hand on his shoulder without him noticing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How had he forgotten everything? But as Sawamura talked, his memory started to come back to him. He remembered the absolute chaos that seemed to stem out of nowhere. He remembered keeping up with the news; high death rates all over the world for no discernable reason. Then one day, the news was gone. Phone signals cut out and everyone was in a state of panic. Akaashi stayed home, too scared of what was out there. Everything after was a blur, but he remembered running. Going somewhere, though he wasn't sure where. Why did he leave his family behind? So he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How had he forgotten so much?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His chest tightened and he clutched at it, leaning forward. Chocked sobs racked his body as Sawamura kept a steady arm around him. Akaashi was grateful. He needed something to keep him in reality.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His sobs soon subsided as the energy drained from his body with the tears. He wondered how long it had been since he got actual sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're going back to base." Daichi spoke softly, breaking Akaashi out of his head. Yet again, he was grateful. "A truck will arrive soon to get us out. Do you want me to stay with you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded. "Thank you." He said, though he knew that words couldn't express his gratitude.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi's face fell as he thought of another question. "Why did you save me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi's face twisted through a couple emotions before it settled on a similar expression to when Akaashi asked about the events leading up to everything around them. "You called out to me." There was an unsaid </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don't you remember?</span>
  </em>
  <span> behind his words. "I was patrolling the area and I heard you. I'm sorry- I should've been there sooner."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi turned away, looking at the people around them. So that's how he felt? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You should've left me. I lost everything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura pulled him into a hug. "Lots of people lost everything. I have too-" He inhaled sharply and Akaashi realized he was fighting back tears. He took a deep breath before continuing. "But here's what I came to realize. You don't have to live for yourself, especially if you can't find a reason to live. I'm still alive because I want to help people who are in a similar situation to me. Which is, I presume, most people."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi's eyes widened, but he continued looking away. "Why do you care so much about me?" He said, though it was very soft and came out as a whisper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I- You- You're the first person I've saved and I've done such a terrible job. You see, they found me around a week ago. Then yesterday they sent out anyone who's able-bodied to find more people. This is my first mission and I-" He trailed off, but Akaashi could imagine what he was going to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi was extremely conflicted, especially because he couldn't exactly remember everything that had happened to him. All he knew was that Sawamura was right. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> saved Akaashi, maybe more than he realized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's… okay." Akaashi said, finally turning back to Sawamura. "You're right."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura brightened. "I- uh- don't want to seem rude, but what's your name?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Akaashi Keiji."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Akaashi." Sawamura said, nodding. "I'm sure we can rely on each other. I know there's an entire group, but sometimes you just need one person."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded. If he had been alone, he would feel extremely awkward, but he was glad that Sawamura was so kind. "Thank you, Sawamura. I'm very grateful. Probably more than you realize."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawamura scratched the back of his neck, suddenly bashful. "Oh, uh- Thank you? And call me Daichi."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi raised an eyebrow. He wasn't used to calling people by their first name. "Daichi...san."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sawa- Daichi nodded. "That's fine." There was a hint of a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continued to sit in silence as they watched the people around them. Akaashi was starting to feel tired. His eyes started to close, but Daichi shook him back awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, don't sleep. Wait until we get there." There was worry in his voice and Akaashi nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a long while of Akaashi fighting back sleep, they heard the roar of engines approaching them. Daichi helped Akaashi up and helped the people around them pack up their stuff, Akaashi sticking by him the whole time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trucks arrived and Akaashi was shocked by the size of them. They looked like big busses, with seats packed together so everyone was as comfortable as they could get. The back was open, but Akaashi saw that they could be closed to cover everyone inside. There were three seats in the front, which reminded Akaashi of the front of semi-trucks. There was one truck unlike the rest, which was completely covered. Everyone was piling things in the back of that truck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi sat on a large rock, off to the side, as he waited for Daichi to finish working and get him. He observed the people who weren't in uniform, trying to see if he could identify anyone. He saw the storeowner of the store around the corner and a teacher that taught at his high school. Most people were alone, huddled together for warmth and comfort. Akaashi couldn't see his friends, or anyone who he knew. A face popped into his face but he laughed. There was no way </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi was by his side, coughing lightly so as not to scare Akaashi. Akaashi jumped anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've been given permission to accompany you." Daichi explained. "We'll be getting on first since you need medical attention as soon as possible."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I thought I was given medical attention?" Akaashi asked, though he stood up and followed Daichi to one of the trucks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's only temporary." He explained. "And it's not like your wounds were healed. There's just a lot of things preventing you from feeling the pain or bleeding out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi frowned, but he didn't argue. They passed through the crowd that was starting to form behind the trucks and Akaashi averted his eyes. Daichi helped him onto the truck and they sat in the front seats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The uniformed people outside split people into trucks. They pulled the covers on the trucks and quickly packed. They were soon rolling down the roads. Everyone sat in silence, which was sometimes broken by a stray sob or a worried question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Every time the truck hit a bump, Akaashi felt the pain travel up his spine. Daichi tried to cushion him using his jacket, but it didn't help much. Akaashi stayed silent, however, as he knew that they had to go quickly, both for his sake and for everyone else. No one wanted to be out in the open anymore, especially with everything around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They eventually got off of the bumpy roads, and the ride became smoother. The truck paused for a moment before slowly twisting and turning. Akaashi assumed that they had made it to whatever hideout they were going to and that the trucks were parking somewhere. Shouts were heard from outside and the covering was removed, revealing what looked like an underground parking lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sides of the truck were lowered and Daichi and Akaashi were escorted into the building along with a handful of other people who looked to be in bad condition. They were all ushered into a room and each person was given a bed to lay on. It smelled like a hospital and usually Akaashi would grimace, but he was just glad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi sat on a chair by his side, looking around nervously. Akaashi wondered if Daichi went through something similar when he first arrived. Akaashi yawned as he felt his body sink into the bed. Soft pillows were placed on his back to keep his wound from hurting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi smiled down at him. "You can sleep now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded as a nurse hooked him up to a machine. He closed his eyes as he let a strange sense of peace wash over him. Though he wasn't sure what was happening, he finally felt safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi woke to nothing. It was quiet and he couldn't see anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed that as he was sleeping, curtains were placed to separate the patients. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he assumed it was night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat up before remembering his wounds. He grimaced, but relaxed as he realized that they didn't hurt. The covers had been placed on him and he removed it, looking down at himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His clothes had been replaced with what reminded him of a hospital gown and his bandages were replaced with cleaner ones. He was still hooked up to the machine, which was silently recording his heart rate and what he assumed was his blood pressure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi tried to stand out of bed, but the action sent the world spinning around him. Instead, he laid back down on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thoughts ran through his head and he tried to comprehend them. What was happening with the world? He had heard the word "war" tossed around before and even after the bombs, but wasn't that jumping to conclusions? And if it really </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a war, what were they fighting against?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But why else would there be bombs? Even if there wasn't an actual war before, the bombs would certainly bring about one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi heard the curtain opening and saw the head of a nurse peeking in. When she saw that he was awake, she smiled at him. She stepped into the room, writing something down on a clipboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're awake." She greeted with a nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded. "How long was I sleeping?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A day." She said, checking the machine he was hooked up to. "Are you hungry."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded. She smiled before disappearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few moments later the curtain opened again and Daichi walked in. He looked at Akaashi sheepishly before sitting in the chair next to the bed. For a moment, he just stared at the floor, but then he started to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad you're awake. I was afraid that I was too late."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi relaxed into the bed. "Everything's fine. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi smiled. He then sighed. "They're sending me back out there. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but you'll be on your own for a while. I suggest you get to know other people."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi knew this was coming and it wasn't a shock to him, but he still felt sad. He had just lost everything and now the one person he got to know would be gone for a while. He knew that it was dangerous, too, and that Daichi might-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll be fine." Akaashi reassured. And maybe he was right. He had spent his life after middle school alone. He could handle being alone for a couple more days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi looked at him disbelievingly, but didn't speak. Akaashi studied the marks on the curtain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Be careful." He finally said after a while.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded and what little conversation they had came to an end. However, it was clear that neither of them wanted to leave each other's company, so Daichi remained in the chair, watching Akaashi's heart rate as Akaashi stared at the curtain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nurse had come and gone with food and Akaashi and Daichi participated in a brief conversation. They didn't talk about anything significant, but both spoke out of custom. Once he was done, Akaashi started to ask questions about where they were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi explained that the so-called group who took them in was an old mafia group who operated near Tokyo. This wasn't the strangest thing to happen to him, so Akaashi simply nodded. He didn't care anyway, since they helped him out of a dire situation. Daichi explained that the building they were currently residing in was the remnants of the old mafia HQ. No one was able to go past the second floor because of the questionable structural integrity, but there were two basement floors that also led to underground parking garages. They were already beginning to construct a bunker in the nearby mountains that could house more people, since they were running out of room. There was talk that there would be other facilities, but nothing had been confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No one's saying it but everyone knows that it's the end of the world." Daichi sighed. "That base is probably going to be our homes for the rest of our lives."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It seems that they're far into their project." Akaashi observed. "They must have a lot of people working on it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi shrugged. "Probably. But I've also heard that they started working on this project for a long time. It probably became faster, though, because they don't have to pay for supplies and they gain a lot more workers."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nurse walked into the space, cutting the conversation. She looked at Daichi with a stern face. "You should leave." She said, though there was no meanness in her tone. "He needs to get rest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded and she left them so they has some privacy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, goodbye." Daichi said with a slight bow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded back. "I hope we can see each other again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Daichi left, Akaashi immediately fell asleep. He had been exhausted, but he had been distracted because of everything. Though he was sad to see Daichi leave, he was thankful that the nurse kicked him out. He tried not to think about the dangerous world Daichi was heading back out to as his world went black.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple weeks later, Akaashi was discharged from the hospital, which was called the Medical Ward. He had spent his recovery time asking the nurses, or Medics, about where he was staying. Almost everything was similar to what Daichi had already told him, but he was given the name of everything. He was a part of the Crow's Nest and if he was going to be a part of the workforce, he would most likely be a Scout. However, they were soon going to start training, which would be open to people who want to go out on the field. They would go over basics for now, but they were hoping to have a full training course available as long as they could find people who were skilled enough to oversee it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he was released, Akaashi was taken to a room filled with cots. He was taken to one and told that this was going to be where he stayed until the new base was built.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was stuffy and very crowded, so Akaashi spent the next couple weeks avoiding it, only returning to sleep. He would go to the dining hall to eat, take a walk, or train.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a day or so after he was released, Akaashi realized just how boring everything was. He had considered taking a job in the base, but realized that if he wanted to help people, he would have to be on the front lines. Though the scar on his back no longer hurt, it was a constant reminder of what the world was like now. If he wanted to save people, he would have to save them from whatever evil sprang out after the collapse of society.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first day had been introductions. He was put in a large group of people and was introduced to the person who would be training them. He didn't introduce himself by name, saying that everyone should refer to him as "Captain". Akaashi glanced around, trying to see if he knew anyone. He didn't.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second day, they had started training for the first time. The training was tough, tougher than anything Akaashi had experienced before, but he endured it. Every time he felt discouraged, he remembered the scar. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Akaashi walked back on the third day, half the people didn't show up. Captain was unperturbed, and Akaashi heard him mutter something about how weak they were after practice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of training was the same. Normally, Akaashi would've been upset by how dull his every day was, but now he was grateful for something to do. Everything in his life had a perfect order to it that he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>A month later, everyone was moved into the new base. The construction wasn't actually finished, but the number of people that were brought in was becoming too much for the limited space that they had. Luckily for Akaashi, people who actively worked for the base was allowed to move in first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he hopped onto the truck, he looked around and tried to find Daichi. They hadn't seen each other since Daichi had left on a mission. At first Akaashi believed that there were too many people and they kept missing each other, but as time went on and more and more people came to the base he started to fear that the worst had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Akaashi never tried to look for him, instead sticking with his routine. He didn't want to know what really happened to Daichi, so he didn't ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now, he was curious again. He was in a truck full of Scouts. Daichi wasn't there, but there were four other trucks with Scouts in them. If Daichi was still alive, he would have to be in one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they got to the new base, they were directed into what looked like an assembly hall. The room was large, seeming to fit more than a thousand people. Though there were a couple hundred Scouts, there was plenty of room for a couple hundred more. The open space felt eerie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Welcome, Scouts!" A man said into a microphone. He was standing at the front of the room, two bodyguards next to him. Akaashi wasn't sure who it was, but he knew it was someone important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Though this building is not complete, dire circumstances have led us to move in now. But regardless, we'll make the most out of our situation. The first couple floors will be dedicated to our living facilities. We've built temporary living quarters for everyone here. We're splitting everyone by their ranks. Scouts will live in the top three floors. Now, please gather there so you can be assigned a room." He pointed to a couple of tables that were lined against the wall near the door where they walked in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone waited a moment, looking at the other people for permission. The man with the microphone nodded and everyone started wandering towards the table. Akaashi started to walk there when he felt a tap on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Akaashi?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi turned around. Standing there was Daichi, who seemed more mature than they last met. It looked like he became more muscular too, though Akaashi wasn't too sure of that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Daichi-san?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi beamed. "Hey! It's been a while." He studied Akaashi. "You've become a Scout?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded. "I haven't seen you at the training."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed. "Oh, I wasn't there. I was able to become a Scout without any training because I've already had experience." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi looked at him questioningly. "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi laughed. "After I graduated high school, I joined the defense force."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi raised an eyebrow. In hindsight, he really shouldn't be surprised. Daichi carried himself in such a way that no other person Akaashi had met had. He had also been very muscular, which should've suggested that he was very active.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They sent us out once the bombs started to drop. I was a new recruit at the time, so I was sent out to help civilians." Daichi seemed to be lost in thought. Akaashi wondered how horrible it was. "Then one day they stopped communicating to us. Some of us went back and the entire base had been bombed. That's when we realized we were on our own…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi felt like he was imposing. This was obviously something personal to Daichi and it didn't make sense for him to be spilling his story when they had finally met each other over months. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Daichi-san. You don't have to tell me this. I don't want to-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No." Daichi cut off. "I've heard your story. It's only fair for you to know mine."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi wanted to retort that Daichi didn't really know his story, especially since Akaashi couldn't remember most of it for himself, but Daichi seemed intent. Maybe it was to develop trust, Akaashi wasn't sure. But he let him speak anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded and continued, knowing that Akaashi was complacent. "The ones who were there with me, we formed a group together. We weren't sure what was happening, since all communications went down, so we knew we had to stick together. Then one day we ran into a group of Crows. They were looking for people from the defense force, since they knew we could fight. Of course we joined them. Some people left once they found out that the Crow's Nest was a mafia group, but I knew that this was the best we were going to get."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi paused as the two lined up, waiting to get their room keys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How did you figure?" Akaashi asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Everything around us was chaos. I didn't want to believe it, but the end of society had come."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Fall." Akaashi nodded, remembering the name that a lot of people had been calling it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi nodded. "I was going to find the specifics later, but yes. And I knew- mafia groups are able to sustain themselves without society there to protect them. If anything was going to survive after the fall of society, it would be mafia groups. They would be able to keep some order to people who desperately need it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi thought about his situation for the past couple weeks. He slowly nodded as he realized that Daichi was right. Outside of the base, everything was a mess. Once Akaashi started his life here, there was an order to his life that he was grateful for. He knew that he was safer in the base and that he knew what was coming to him the next day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think I understand." Akaashi said. He looked around before lowering his voice. "But how did you know to trust </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> mafia group? Couldn't they be trying to trick people? It seemed like they were trying to build an army, still are."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi thought for a moment before nodding. "They are, but it's for a good cause. There's other groups out there who want to harm civilians. This army is for good, not for evil."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed very confident in his answer and Akaahsi didn't have the heart to tell him that good intentions don't necessarily bring out good results. But Akaashi couldn't argue. He was given a new life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had made it to the front of the line, where they registered themselves in and were given a key to their room. They silently walked to the elevator, Akaashi thinking to himself as they went. The elevator was packed, but the ride was short. The elevator stopped in a long hallway of doors, each with a number. Luckily, Daichi and Akaashi didn't have to walk far to get to their rooms, which were right next to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi tested the key, which worked. He threw his stuff in his room before walking back out, to where Akaashi had just opened his door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've brought some cards with me." He said as Akaashi threw his stuff in the room. "Want to play? I'm sure there isn't anything going on for today." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded and they walked into Daichi's room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Halfway through the first game, Akaashi paused, putting his cards down. He had thought through a lot of things, but there was one more thing he needed to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Have you thought about what you want to do with your life, Daichi-san?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi looked surprised for a brief second, but it was soon replaced with a smile. "I'm going to fight for what's right." He said, thinking. "That's why I joined the defense force and that's why I'm still fighting. I lost a lot because of everything's that's happened, but that's more of a reason for me to fight. I've survived so much, now I want to help those who are less fortunate than me." He nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi nodded as well, now finally able to understand what Daichi had been telling him. "I'll do that too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Daichi chuckled. "You don't have to do it exactly like me, though. Go down your own path, not other's."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His own path, huh? Akaashi never felt the need to carve his own destiny, just going along with whatever path life took him. But when he looked back at all the consequenses of going down that path, he realized how bad it was. He lost his family, his home, and everything that was important to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed as he sat back, looking up at the ceiling. He wouldn't let that happen again.</span>
</p>
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